James Dennis pays tribute to the role LSBU played in securing him a job
The mixture of being able to interact with patients and working on something "exciting and edgy" swayed him. James now has a job as a diagnostic radiographer at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
Employed straight away
James is quick to pay tribute to the role LSBU played in securing him his role – which he was offered several months before graduation. It was partly the strong employment rates for graduates that helped him decide on joining LSBU, as well as the fantastic location.
I honestly believe South Bank has some of the best hospitals on their books for their students, and the employment rates for graduates were quite good as well. I think the location is very good, it is very central in London and for me it was important to study in London.
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Career development
Placements are a vital part of the learning process for students. It enables them to put the theory they have learned at LSBU into practice in a safe environment. James was placed at a variety of hospitals: Guys and St Thomas', Whipps Cross, King's College and Queens. Many students are able to develop careers at the hospitals they were placed during their time at LSBU, which is part of the reason why employment rates are so strong.
Although he has already secured a great job, James is already looking at his next move. He is hoping to transfer into management through the NHS graduate scheme. One of the advantages of working in diagnostic radiography is that as the NHS is one of the largest employers in Europe, there are always opportunities for career progression from your starting career. James is pursuing management roles, but there are plenty of other options – including specialisation such as working in trauma/accident and emergency or medical ultrasound.
Next generation
Now, James is in a position where he supervises and trains other students in his job. He says he is always telling students to study at LSBU and cannot recommend the course highly enough. He is equally enthusiastic about a career in Diagnostic Radiography, but believes that a certain personality and attributes are important. "I think fundamentally you need to be caring. It does involve a lot of skills such as problem solving, you need to have a keen eye for detail and you need to be a people person too. I think those are core foundations for any kind of health specialist pathway that somebody wishes to pursue."